News and Events

New film production

Rob Freathy, Esther D. Reed, Anna Davis and Brian J. Turner have produced a short film introducing the narrative approach to Religious Education in schools developed through their research project The Art of Narrative Theology in Religious Education funded by the Bible Society.

The Network holds regular meetings throughout the academic year. The provide a forum for members to present ongoing or completed research; short introductions to new research projects; discussion of draft research papers or grant applications; notifications of events and publications; and so forth. We are particularly keen to encourage postgraduate and early career researchers to present their work for the purpose of receiving constructive formative feedback. Meeting dates are detailed in the events listing below. If you would like to attend our meetings please email the network convenor, Professor Rob Freathy.

The Network will be hosting Dr Joanne Pearce (University College London) on 8th May 2018 as part of the Graduate School of Education Research Seminar Series. Please see the event listing below for full details. All are welcome to attend.

R. Freathy (invited speaker) presented ‘Enquiry-based Theological Learning in the RE Classroom’. Church of England Archbishop’s Council Education Division and The National Society. Church House, Westminster, London. 27th and 28th April 2015.

R. Freathy, E. D. Reed and A. Davis (invited speakers) presented ‘Theological Enquiry in the RE Classroom: A Narrative Approach’. Church of England Archbishop’s Council Education Division and The National Society. Church House, Westminster, London. 27th and 28th April 2015.

R. Freathy and F. Schweitzer presented ‘The relationship between the “professional quality” of teaching and the “professionalization” of teachers — The example of RE’. Teacher Professionalization and the Professional Quality of Religious Education: An International Symposium, University of Exeter, UK, March 2015.

Professor Vivienne Baumfield (Univeristy of Glasgow) Graduate School of Education Research Seminar Serieis, December 2014. ‘Back to the Future’? Curriculum Development through Pedagogical Inquiry. A recording of this seminar is now available for staff and students.

R Freathy and S.G. Parker presented ‘Towards international comparative research on the professionalization of Religious Education’. History of Education Society Annual Conference, Dublin, Ireland, November 2014.

This network brings together researchers with an interest in the areas of religion, spirituality and education and provides a lively and supportive space in which to share ideas and beliefs and to compare them with those from other disciplines and cultural backgrounds; and to explore new syntheses and emerging understandings within the network and the wider society. Full details

This network brings together researchers with an interest in the areas of religion, spirituality and education and provides a lively and supportive space in which to share ideas and beliefs and to compare them with those from other disciplines and cultural backgrounds; and to explore new syntheses and emerging understandings within the network and the wider society. Full details

It has been suggested common schools might be able to learn from spiritual education in Steiner schools. This assumes practice in Steiner schools is compatible with the aims of spiritual education in common schools. I question this by considering whether the former is confessional, as the latter should not be. I explain how my concern about the potentially confessional nature of Steiner spiritual education arose. I then argue for a nuanced understanding of confessional education, distinguishing between ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ confessional education, as well as between confessional education as intentional and as defined by outcome. I argue that spiritual education in common schools should prepare pupils for spirituality, without being confessional. I consider whether Steiner schools are confessional by drawing upon findings from research conducted at six Steiner schools. Full details